Durex
Encyclopedia
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s that used to be made by British company SSL International
SSL International
SSL International plc was a British manufacturer of healthcare products. Its best known brands were Durex and Scholl; other significant brands were Sauber and Mister Baby. The company's name was an abbreviation of Seton Scholl London International, its predecessor businesses. Since November 2010,...
. This company was sold to Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser plc is a global consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of household products and a major producer of consumer healthcare and personal products...
in July 2010.
The name, which the London Rubber Company trademarked in 1929, is a portmanteau of "Durability, Reliability, and Excellence", though some people mistake it as being "Durable Latex".
Durex condoms represent around one quarter of the global market for prophylactic sheaths, manufacturing around one billion units per year in 17 factories worldwide. Durex condoms are the most popular brand of condoms in the UK. The Durex range includes nine varieties of latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
condom, including the Sheik and Ramses brands popular for decades in North America, and the Avanti condom, the first male condom made from polyurethane
Polyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
. Polyurethane condoms do not suffer from "latex rot", and are suited for users who have an allergic
Allergy
An Allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system. Allergic reactions occur when a person's immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment. A substance that causes a reaction is called an allergen. These reactions are acquired, predictable, and rapid...
reaction to latex (a common occurrence and one which until now had not been responded to).
In August 2007, Durex announced that it expected to launch a new line of condoms that it claims will help men get a firmer erection
Erection
Penile erection is a physiological phenomenon where the penis becomes enlarged and firm. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular and endocrine factors, and is usually, though not exclusively, associated with sexual arousal...
and increase penis size
Human penis size
Human penis size is the measured length and width of the human penis. The most accurate measurement of the human penis comes from several measurements at different times, as there is natural variability in size due to arousal level, time of day, room temperature, frequency of sexual activity, and...
. The condoms will contain a gel in the tip that dilates arteries and increases blood flow to the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
.
Durex condoms was declared the runner-up of the most account sales of condoms in the United States, with Trojan condoms
Trojan (condoms)
Trojan is a brand name of condoms manufactured by the Church & Dwight Company. 70.5 percent of condoms purchased in United States drugstores are Trojan brand. Trojan began selling condoms in 1927 through an ad placed in a trade magazine for pharmacists....
being no. 1.